804 Aged Parent (Residence)

Visa Summary

This visa allows aged parents to remain in Australia permanently with their children who are living in Australia. This visa requires that you be sponsored by your child or another eligible sponsor in Australia.

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for you if you are an elderly parent of a child or stepchild who, at the time the visa application is lodged, is ‘settled’ and either an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. This means your child must have been lawfully resident in Australia for a reasonable period, normally two years, although a shorter period can be considered for Australian citizen children if there are compelling and compassionate circumstances.

In addition you must be able to demonstrate one of the following:

at least half of your children are Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens who are usually resident in Australia

you have more children living in Australia as Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens than in any other country

Your partner and other dependent family members may be included in your application provided they satisfy certain requirements.

Note: If you have been granted a Tourist (subclass 676) visa by the Minister through ministerial intervention, other eligibility criteria may apply. If you are considering a parent visa option, please contact the Parent Visa Centre in Perth to discuss your specific circumstances.

What does this visa let me do?

This visa allows you, your accompanying partner and dependent family members to live as permanent residents in Australia.

be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)

sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods)

This visa allows aged parents to remain in Australia permanently, with their children who are living in Australia

This visa requires that you be sponsored by your child, or another eligible sponsor, in Australia.

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for you if you are an elderly parent of a child or stepchild who, at the time the visa application is lodged, is ‘settled’ and either an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. This means your child must have been lawfully resident in Australia for a reasonable period, normally two years, although a shorter period can be considered for Australian citizen children if there are compelling and compassionate circumstances.

In addition you must be able to demonstrate one of the following:

at least half of your children are Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens who are usually resident in Australia

you have more children living in Australia as Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens than in any other country

Your partner and other dependent family members may be included in your application provided they satisfy certain requirements.

Note: If you have been granted a Tourist (subclass 676) visa by the Minister through ministerial intervention, other eligibility criteria may apply. If you are considering a parent visa option, please contact the Parent Visa Centre in Perth to discuss your specific circumstances.

What does this visa let me do?

This visa allows you and your dependent family members to live as Australian permanent residents in Australia.

be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)

sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods)

How does this visa work?

Applicants for non-contributory parent visas may have to wait many years before being granted a visa, as the Government limits the number of places available each program year. To manage demand fairly, people who apply and meet core criteria for the grant of this visa, are placed in a global queue.

Because of long waiting periods, applicants may choose to apply for a Contributory parent visa where applicants (or their sponsor) pay a much larger visa application charge and Assurance of Support bond. Applicants (or their sponsor) are contributing to Government revenue and helping to offset some costs placed on the community by parent migration. The Government also limits the number of places available for Contributory parents each year, but there are more places available so the waiting period for grant of a Contributory parent visa is much shorter.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities for this visa are summarized in the table below.

Person

Responsibility

Sponsor

Must give a written undertaking to provide support, accommodation and financial assistance for the applicant, and any accompanying dependent family members, for their first two (2) years of residency in Australia.

Applicant

Complete and lodge the application including the application charge and all supporting documentation.

Assurer of Support can be the sponsor or another person)

Be prepared to:

provide financial assistance to the applicant and any accompanying dependent family members so they do not need to rely on any government forms of support for two (2) years of residency in Australia

repay any recoverable social security payments made to the applicant or their accompanying dependent family members in the first two (2) years of residency in Australia

Note: Details on how to provide an Assurance of Support will be sent to the applicant after the visa application has been received.

Government benefits

If you are granted this visa you will have a waiting period before you are eligible to receive most social security payments.

You will not automatically receive the age pension in Australia if you are an aged parent.

Waiting periods are generally, two (2) years for most social security payments and ten (10) years for age and disability pension payments (exemptions may apply).

Visa application process

Application forms

Active Migration Australia will assess each application individually and provide extensive checklists consisting of instructions to help you successfully complete the forms required.

Adding family members to your application

In some circumstances you may add dependent children or a partner to your application after the application is lodged, but before a decision has been made.

Parent visa processing priorities

Parent visa applications have a lower processing priority than other family members such as partners and children.

How to lodge your application

You must be in Australia at the time of application and at the time of visa grant.

Visa Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Age requirements

Men

Men must be 65 years or older to meet the age requirements.

Women

Women should use the following table. The table shows the age at which a woman becomes eligible to apply for a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa.

Birth Date

Earliest date you can apply

Minimum Age

Before 30 June 1944

From 30 June 2007

63

1 July 1944 – 31 December 1945

Between 1 January 2008 – 30 June 2009

63.5

1 January 1946 – 30 June 1947

Between 1 January 2010 – 30 June 2011

64

1 July 1947 – 31 December 1948

Between 1 January 2012 – 30 June 2013

64.5

1 January 1949 and later

From 1 January 2014 onwards

65

Examples:

If you were born on 15 September 1947, you would be eligible to apply for an Aged Parent visa from 15 March 2012 onwards as you would have turned 64.5 years of age.

If you were born on 26 April 1953, you would be eligible to apply for an Aged Parent visa from 26 April 2018 onwards as you would have turned 65 years of age.

Child in Australia

You must be a parent of a child who is settled in Australia as one of the following:

an Australian citizen

an Australian permanent resident

an eligible New Zealand citizen

Eligible sponsor

You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Usually, your child will sponsor you. If your child is under 18 years you may also be sponsored by one the following:

your child’s partner

a relative or guardian of your child

a relative or guardian of your child’s partner

a community organization

Assurance of Support

You must have a commitment by a person prepared to provide you with an Assurance of Support.

Balance of family test

You must meet the balance of family test.

Health

You must meet certain health requirements and will need to undergo a health examination.

Character

You, your accompanying partner and dependent family members aged sixteen and above must meet the character requirements.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must repay, or have made arrangements to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian Government, before a decision can be made on your application.

Limitations on applications

If you are in Australia, you may be prevented from applying for this visa if, for example:

you do not hold a substantive visa (which is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa) and had a visa cancelled or refused since you last arrived in Australia

your last visa was granted on the condition that you would not be granted a substantive visa while you remain in Australia

you hold a sponsored visitor visa

you are in immigration detention

If any of the above circumstances apply, contact your nearest departmental office before making an application.

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to read, or you might have been explained about the book ‘Life in Australia book’.

The Life in Australia book provides more information on the values that Australians share and their way of life.

Family Member Eligibility

The following family members can be included in your application:

your spouse or de facto partner

your dependent child

other dependent relatives

These family members must meet the following requirements to be eligible for inclusion in this visa application.

Partner

Dependent child

Your child or stepchild is considered a dependent when they are one of the following:

under 18 years of age

aged 18 years or over and have been wholly or substantially reliant on you for a substantial period for their basic needs (food, clothing and shelter)

of any age and is incapacitated for work due to a total or partial loss of bodily or mental functions (whether or not they migrate with you)

A child of any age is not considered dependent if they are married, engaged to be married or in a de facto relationship.

Other dependent relatives

Your other relatives may be considered dependent if they are all of the following:

wholly or substantially reliant on your financial support for their basic living needs (food, shelter and clothing)

more reliant on you for support than on any other person or source

have been reliant on you for a substantial period

is not married, engaged to be married or in a de facto relationship

is usually resident in the household of the primary applicant

Health

Your partner and all dependent family members must meet health requirements and will need to undergo a health examination.

Character

Your accompanying partner and dependent family members aged 16 and above must meet character requirements.

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to read, or you might have been explained about the book ‘Life in Australia book’.

The Life in Australia book provides more information on the values that Australians share and their way of life.

Sponsor Eligibility

Generally, your child must sponsor you. However if your child is under 18 years of age, another person(aged 18 or over) or a community organization may be the sponsor.

If your child is 18 years of age or over

Your child or stepchild is eligible to sponsor you if they are settled in Australia as one of the following:

an Australian citizen

an Australian permanent resident

an eligible New Zealand citizen

Your child’s partner (aged 18 or over) is also eligible to sponsor you if they live with your child and are settled in Australia as one of the following:

an Australian citizen

an Australian permanent resident

eligible New Zealand citizen

If your child is aged under 18 years of age

The following may be considered eligible sponsors:

Your child’s partner (aged 18 or over) is eligible to sponsor you if they live with your child and are settled in Australia as one of the following:

an Australian citizen

an Australian permanent resident

eligible New Zealand citizen

A relative or guardian (aged 18 or over) of your child or your child’s partner is eligible to sponsor you if they are settled in Australia as of the following:

an Australian citizen

an Australian permanent resident

eligible New Zealand citizen

A community organization is eligible to sponsor you if they are:

able to establish there is a relationship between their organization and your child

prepared to make an official written commitment to support the application (generally a statutory declaration signed by a senior member)

Settled eligible New Zealand citizens who want to sponsor must meet health and character requirements.

Assurer of Support

An Assurance of Support must be provided by the sponsor or another person or persons.

To be eligible to provide an Assurance of Support the assurer will need to meet all Centrelink eligibility requirements.

Note: It is unlikely that a person could provide an Assurance of Support if they have received the full rate of any pension, benefits or allowances (other than family payments from Centrelink during the past year).

Conditions and obligations for holders of visa subclass 804

If this visa is granted the following requirements must be met.

Applicant and family members

You and any accompanying family members must comply with all Australian laws as permanent residents.

Sponsor

Your sponsor must continue to help you (and your family) settle in Australia by providing:

support

accommodation

financial assistance

The sponsor must comply with these obligations for the first two (2) years of residency in Australia.

Assurer of Support

The assurer must do all of the following:

provide financial support to you (and your family) so you do not have to rely on any government forms of support

repay the Australian Government for any recoverable social security payments made by Centrelink to you and any others covered by the Assurance of Support

pay a refundable bond before the visa is granted

For this visa, the Assurance of Support must remain in place for two (2) years from the date you are granted this visa.

Visa Summary This visa allows aged parents to remain in Australia permanently with their children who are living in Australia. This visa requires that you be sponsored by your child or another eligible sponsor in Australia. Who is this visa for? This visa is for you if you are an elderly parent of a child…